Hmm, Where Could All This Hatred Be Coming From?

Wrong-Headed Cures for the Prejudice Problem

As with the Labour party students at Oxford, it is hard to argue that party members should have zero-tolerance towards anti-Semites when the party's current leader has spent his whole career happily tolerating them.

As many on the so-called left have earlier shown, their sinister idea of "re-education" for their opponents supposes that their own ideas on "education" are correct.

"Anti-Semitism isn't just tolerated in some sections of the British Muslim community; it's routine and commonplace. Any Muslims reading this article -- if they are honest with themselves -- will know instantly what I am referring to. It's our dirty little secret." — Mehdi Hassan, The New Statesman.

Is it not possible that anti-Muslim feeling, if it exists, might be in part propelled by the discovery that anti-Semitism and other forms of prejudice (against women and gay people to name just two other "minorities") are also "routine and commonplace" among British Muslims?

Not a month goes by in Britain without some left-wing proponent of anti-Jewish racism exposing themselves. Last month it was the Oxford University Labour Club (OULC) that was found to be harbouring anti-Semites among its members. In recent weeks there have been a number of adult members of the Labour party who have been readmitted to the party or promoted within it while holding extreme anti-Jewish views.

The most recent case revolves around one Vicki Kirby, a Labour parliamentary candidate before the last general election, when she was suspended from the party for tweeting about Jews having "big noses," Adolf Hitler being the "Zionist god" and other ramblings. Naturally, Ms. Kirby's suspension has since been lifted. As with the Labour party students at Oxford, it is very hard to argue that party members should have zero-tolerance towards anti-Semites when the party's current leader has spent his whole career happily tolerating them. Last week it came to public attention that Ms. Kirby had now become the vice-chair of her local party chapter.

The story was broken on right-of-centre websites, which ordinarily means that left-of-centre activists dismiss them as "smears." But these stories are now coming in so thick and fast that an increasing number of people on the left are starting to admit they might have a problem. At least they are choosing to throw the more minor anti-Semites under the bus while preserving those at the top of their ranks. Had the charges aimed at Ms. Kirby been aimed at Mr Corbyn, we would still be being told that these were "rumours," "innuendo" and the like.

Nevertheless, some Corbyn loyalists have decided that Ms. Kirby may indeed be a bit much, and realized that it is probably time to address the problem. Unfortunately, having failed to recognize the virus earlier, the remedies these people are now suggesting for cure are predictably wrong-headed.

Take for example the Guardian-published Corbyn activist, Owen Jones. Last week, ignoring his own history of stirring up lies against the Jewish state, he responded to his party's latest embarrassment by arguing that Labour's rules should be changed so that "anyone found guilty of anti-Semitism -- or any other form of racism -- is expelled from the party." He went on to say that, "Their readmission should only happen when they have demonstrably been shown to have been re-educated." There is the start of the problem. As so often with those on the Corbyn-ite wing of politics, the answer to problems of the heart or mind is "re-education." The only problem -- as the left many have earlier shown in a range of twentieth-century initiatives ranging from Stalin to Mao -- is that their sinister idea of "re-education" for their opponents supposes that their own ideas on "education" are correct. As Jones goes on to show, this is rarely the case.

For his second prevarication for dealing with Labour's anti-Semitism problem, Jones wrote that the party should:

"... set up two commissions: one on antisemitism, the other on anti-Muslim prejudice, respectively headed by a leading Jewish and a Muslim figure. Both forms of bigotry are on the rise in Britain, and both exist within progressive circles and the Labour party. The commissions could issue a series of recommendations, both for dealing with it when it arises within Labour, and also in wider society."

As everyone involved in politics knows, there are two ways truly to ignore a problem: the first is just to ignore it; the second is to "set up a commission."

But there are several perhaps unwittingly interesting things about this flaccid suggestion. The first is the reflexive and unthinking demonstration among many these days that they cannot possibly deal with anti-Semitism unless they also throw Muslims into the mix. To deal with anti-Semitism on its own might throw up too many problems and raise too many communal problems.

But let us say that two such commissions were set up. And let us pretend for a moment that they were indeed headed by people who were not merely "leading" but also honest figures.

The head of the commission to look into anti-Semitic prejudice, might find a number of startling things. He or she might find, for instance, that the dominant strand of anti-Semitism in British life in 2016 comes not from Ms. Kirby's ilk, but from the British Muslim community. The commission head would not have to go far to learn this. One only has to pick up a copy of the British left's in-house magazine, The New Statesman, and read an article from just three years ago by the British-born Al-Jazeera broadcaster, Mehdi Hassan. In an unusually honest piece entitled, "The sorry truth is that the virus of anti-Semitism has infected the British Muslim community," the author explains that:

"Anti-Semitism isn't just tolerated in some sections of the British Muslim community; it's routine and commonplace. Any Muslims reading this article -- if they are honest with themselves -- will know instantly what I am referring to. It's our dirty little secret."

So as Hassan has reminded us, the sorry truth is that if a commission into anti-Semitism were set up, it would have to finger the majority of British Muslims as at least a very large part of the problem.

Meanwhile, let us say that the second commission were set up -- the one that gives cover to the anti-Semitism commission which is looking at "anti-Muslim" feeling. This commission might come to an equally problematic conclusion. This commission might conclude, for instance, that to the extent that any "anti-Muslim" feeling might be said to exist in the UK, it comes from a number of factors quite separate from innate and unalterable prejudice in the hearts of the British people. It might come, for instance, from a dislike of suicide-bombings, assassinations, beheadings and other varieties of terrorism carried out while discussing the greatness of Allah. Although most British people will remain perfectly capable of understanding the difference between the actions of the extremists and the behaviour of the vast majority of British Muslims, they may be concerned about the amount of deflection and denial that they see even from leaders of very mainstream Muslim organizations. Indeed, is it not possible that anti-Muslim feeling, if it exists, might not also be in part propelled by the discovery that anti-Semitism and other forms of prejudice (against women and gay people to name just two "minorities") are also "routine and commonplace" among British Muslims?

Perhaps after all it would be best if the Corbyn-ite element of the Labour party does not attempt this process of "re-education"? The path to wisdom must include some self-understanding. Yet the Labour party's anti-Semitism problem comes from people who propel the very hatred they profess to despise. As such, they remain in no position to "re-educate" anyone, as they so stubbornly refuse to educate themselves.

Douglas Murray, a British political analyst and commentator, is based in London.

Comment on this item

Name:

Email Address:

Comments:

Email me if someone replies to my comment

Note: Gatestone Institute greatly appreciates your comments. The editors reserve the right, however, not to publish comments containing: incitement to violence, profanity, or any broad-brush slurring of any race, ethnic group or religion. Gatestone also reserves the right to edit comments for length, clarity and grammar. All thoughtful suggestions and analyses will be gratefully considered. Commenters' email addresses will not be displayed publicly. Gatestone regrets that, because of the increasingly great volume of traffic, we are not able to publish them all.

14 Reader Comments

ou toppie • May 14, 2016 at 06:59

Douglas, you rightly say :'As everyone involved in politics knows, there are two ways truly to ignore a problem: the first is just to ignore it; the second is to "set up a commission".'

but you forgot to add 'And to publish the findings several years later, when many have died or forgotten '

Reply->

Peter Gardner • Mar 23, 2016 at 22:42

One despairs that the British government is headed by a man who not only sees nothing wrong with a future Prime Minister of Britain being Muslim but also believes that the best form of governance of UK is not sovereign parliamentary democracy but government by a supra-national foreign collective unaccountable to the people of UK. I suppose one could argue that given the latter reality it would not matter if the British PM were a fully paid up member of the Chinese Communist party for he would have no real power.

Perhaps our political classes need re-education in the history of democracy and the historical reasons nations fail. If they don't get it soon in a suitable training or educational establishment they will soon be getting it along with the rest of us in the university of life.

Reply->

Syd Kaminsky • Mar 21, 2016 at 05:39

I was a Labour party activist in my youth (in the 1980s) - we were plagued with the entryism of the far left which made Labour unelectable for periods but anti-Semitism wasn't a Labour problem - then we were opposing the anti-Semitism of the National Front and other far right groups. Today I would never vote for Labour under Corbyn- not only is he a magnet for anti-Semites to join the party (many under the guise of being anti -Israel) but he is pulling in, in the thousands, the same ideologues with their unrealistic approach to governance that left Labour in the political wilderness for a generation. Labour is haemorrhaging support within the Jewish community. Even stawlwart Jewish MPs like Ivan Lewis (my MP whom I know personally) are acknowleging that anti-Semitism is a big problem in the party.

Reply->

steven L • Mar 20, 2016 at 18:09

Looks like Islamism and Socialism have common roots! Hate in abundance and fundamental lack of "basic intelligence". This has been part of the European heritage for as long as Europe exists and is also present in the US heritage since many Americans are immigrant from the EU.One has to wonder why not sharing Jewish values? What's wrong with Jewish values? I guess it is hard work to acquire them perhaps!Savagery is innate and demands NO work.

Reply->

NightandDay • Mar 20, 2016 at 13:59

Hardly surprising that the rise in anti-Semitism, not just in Britain by the way, stems from within Islam itself, as it has been inculcated into Muslim communities by their imams and their 'book', especially in the M.E. for decades, if not centuries.

The current rise may be linked to the creation of the state of Israel and the recent massive Muslim immigration into Western societies, where some have busied themselves disseminating their grievances and 'victimhood' to an often uninformed or simply ignorant audience. Since the Left identifies itself as Defender of all victims, it has blindly adopted and endorsed their grievances, leading them to tolerate the intolerable and dishonour their own basic ideology. The current leadership of the Left appears to have an expertise in this area.

Reply->

Kristy Kelly • Mar 20, 2016 at 11:18

Thank heavens this issue is attracting growing attention in the media, among rational liberals and also from rational conservatives. So glad to see Douglas Murray - a truly inspirational figure - weighing in on this important and too oft ignored issue. Well done Douglas. You have the power to reach a broad audience and expose this worrying trend.

Reply->

Andrew Kristy Kelly • May 14, 2016 at 09:27

By focusing hatred against one group it distracts them from looking at their own fallacies' and poor development in the world. I'm talking about Muslim's in general. It's easier to throw hate than to develop your own self.

Reply->

Sholom Gooteit • Mar 20, 2016 at 10:31

As I read your aricle, it occurred to me that Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton kind of have similar modus operandi, maybe not overt anti-semites, but clearly supporting causes and people who are.

Reply->

Harvey • Mar 20, 2016 at 09:14

Thank you Douglas for telling it like it is, its not re education by bigots that just want to brainwash people that is needed, These were the tactics of the communists and other theocratic regimes.

Reply->

Keviun Dunn • Mar 20, 2016 at 08:53

Yes, anti-Semitism and anti-Muslim feeling are equivalent and exactly the same! When did Jews last behead British soldiers in London streets, or burn captured pilots alive in cages? How many Jewish suicide bombers are there? How many Jews blow up ancient monuments and behead their curators, as ISIS did at Palmyra?

Reply->

Eric Littman Keviun Dunn • Mar 21, 2016 at 09:48

What you have said expresses how I feel. I didn't discover how much the Jews were hated until in my mid teens. The propaganda about Jews is so thick and wide and constant it becomes fact but it's not true at all. What have we done to be hated? (I'm sure a zillion people can't wait to tell me.) Israel is a democracy and the Jew haters will argue that Israel is the cause of all the problems but to me it's crystal clear that Muslims themselves are to blame. It's impossible to have constructive dialogue with these people. They can't even get on with each other and they are not interested in participating in a modern world. Sure we have problems, big ones but at least we try to learn, explore, debate and try to have some fun times. I wonder what having fun means to a Muslim? I will not stand for anyone who compares the present crises with that of the Nazi annihilation of Jews and the resulting need for a home for those that survived. The Jews that were sent to concentration camps were not threatening world safety nor were they intent on Judaism being the only religion. The anti Semites think themselves enlightened, progressive moderns. I think they are silly little fools.

Reply->

robert davis • Mar 20, 2016 at 06:53

Antisemitism used to come from the Church and was theological. Nowadays it comes from Muslims who want all of the ME and more, Europe and the world. Therefore antisemitism for them is a form of PR to create problems for Jews so they do not support Israel. Of course being idiots they get more support for Israel but they do not understand it and even if they do, they consider this a revenge. They will only stop when Arabs are expelled from Western Palestine and they will have to reconcile with themselves and admit it is not worth continue the fight since they lost the war. It is not the case as long as Arabs squat Western Palestine. Unfortunately Israel's "leaders" do not understand that and do everything needed to keep up the pressures.

Reply->

Michael Waugh • Mar 20, 2016 at 06:50

Corbyn supports the terrorist organisations of Palestine we all know. Sadiq Kahn supports Corbyn as Labour leader. Since 2006 Kahn has been on the platforms in London with jihadists waving black flags and supporting (amongst other things) anti-semitism. Kahn wants to be Labour mayor of London. What a mess.

Reply->

Jeff Page • Mar 20, 2016 at 06:44

There's always been those within British society that have anti-semetic feelings. Most of the time it has arisen simply because of ignorance. Having said that, when it comes to the crunch, the vast majority of people in Britain know full well and without any doubt just how much of a contribution to our society the Jews make when comparisons are made, particularly when it comes to Muslims! It's true that there has been a rise in anti-semitism and it's also true that Muslims are responsible for that rise. At the end of the day, a great majority of people will side with the Jews rather than the Muslims. We now live in a world where virtually anyone can be attacked by Muslims in their own country. This has been the mistake of western politicians allowing Muslims into their countries. It now costs the taxpayers a fortune to pay for extra security, extra benefits, housing, etc, etc, the list goes on. People that were apparently coming to better their lives are a threat to those who were silly enough to welcome them. This is the reward we get for allowing a viper to get close enough to strike, and for failing to recognise the dangers. The world would be a far, far better place without Muslims, then maybe there wouldn't be so much anti-semitism!